


it's a golden thing we've got

by meggiewrites



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Don't Like Don't Read, M/M, Manu Wears Makeup, Morning Routines, Soft Husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:49:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27699221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meggiewrites/pseuds/meggiewrites
Summary: A soft November morning with Thomas and Manuel.
Relationships: Thomas Müller/Manuel Neuer
Comments: 10
Kudos: 18





	it's a golden thing we've got

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thebaddestwitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebaddestwitch/gifts).



> Welcome to the most self-indulgent thing I've written in a while. It's not gonna be for everyone, I realize that – I implore you to read the tags in case you haven't – so if it's not, that's okay, feel free to click out right now. 
> 
> For the rest of you: hi, welcome! :D I enjoyed writing this a lot, soft domesticity is my favourite thing to explore, and I haven't written my favourite pair in so long it was like a breath of fresh air after being locked inside for too long (which I guess fits the _situation_ – wasn't on purpose, I promise) I missed them. I missed writing them. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Dedicated to E, cause while I don't remember which one of us even came up with this headcanon, I'm glad that we did. Thank you for your works, and for inspiring me so many times along the way <3

When Thomas blinked his eyes open, there was light seeping through the curtains. Not bright and blaring light like on summer mornings, when it would disturb the sleeping so early that even he would close the shutters to lock it out, not warm and soft as it was in spring, but not just yet as cool and clear as in the heart of winter either.

They were getting closer though. Thomas could feel it. The morning tickled his nose, but he already knew that what was expecting him outside was a world shrouded in a blanket of white, ghost-like fog, bright and yet subdued, accented by the few golden, red, brown and orange leafs still clinging to the black, spindly silhouettes of their trees.

Despite or maybe because of all that, it was one of Thomas’ favourite times of the year.

He slipped out from underneath the covers, his toes still toasty-warm and unused to the coolness of the hardwood floors.

Behind him, Manu made a discontent, grumbling noise.

He wasn’t awake yet, not fully at least, and Thomas observed fondly the way he curled up, shuffling around, tugging their duvet closer around himself as if he wanted to mimic Thomas’ arms around him and disappear in it – a feat almost impossible, considering his size.

Thomas grinned fondly, and for a moment he was tempted to lie back down and pull Manu towards him again, to feel his warm back against his chest, to hold him …

It would be so easy.

Instead, he sat down on the edge of the bed, extending his hand, brushing his fingers through soft, unkempt blonde strands until Manu sighed softly, rolling onto his back, yawning.

“Morning, love,” Thomas murmured, his heart so chock-full of love for him.

Manu grunted, throwing his arm over his eyes, shielding them from the brightness.

Thomas laughed. He knew the prompt all too well, and who was he to forbid his husband to stay in bed a little longer on a day off. For a second it almost surprised him when Manu didn't reach for his wrist to keep him there with him, as well – but then Manu's breathing evened out again as he slipped back into a light slumber.

With a fond chuckle, Thomas stood up, rubbing his knees before picking up his sweatpants from the floor, putting them on together with a sweater that he found on the chair in the corner. (Judging from the way it hung loosely off Thomas' lanky frame, it must have been Manu’s.)

He shuffled towards the bathroom, squinting his eyes when the LED lights on the ceiling proved to be a different, more annoying brand of bright. He left them on though, knowing he’d appreciate it later.

After quickly brushing his teeth he washed his face, following the simple, three step skincare routine that had been drilled into him after months of persistence through Manu and Lisa’s combined efforts. He winced when in the course of it, his fingers brushed over the coarse stubble. It was longer than he preferred it, having skipped one day of shaving already, so he sighed before opening the mirrored cabinet.

It wasn’t hard to spot the stuff he needed. Even though Manu’s products occupied most of the small shelves by now, Thomas made due well with the space he had – the lack of it actually forced him to keep everything neatly organized, something he was usually not the best at.

He had just switched the razor on when the door behind him opened, revealing Manu, still drowsy, dressed only in an oversized t-shirt that hung down to his mid-thighs, who was rubbing his hand over his face.

“Hey,” he yawned, messing up his hair, running his fingers through it. 

Thomas replied with a warm smile as Manu staggered over to the empty space next to him, where he seemed to consider how to proceed for a moment before opening his half of the cabinet. Thomas raised a single eyebrow as he took note of all of the products Manu was taking out. His skincare, of course, only slightly more complicated than Thomas’, but also one of his favourite palettes – and there were enough to have favourites, by now – eyeliner, mascara … after hesitating only for a fraction of a second, he even reached for one of the three small tubes in the bottom right corner, all of which were a fairly recent addition to his collection.

While Thomas continued shaving, Manu cleaned his face, clearly skipping out on getting rid of his stubble, before reaching for the palette, studying it and finally deciding on a shimmery gold.

It would never lose that wondrous element, Thomas thought, to observe him applying colour onto his eyelids with a brush that should be way too delicate for his big hands, but Manu worked it almost effortlessly, as if he had more practice than only the few months he’d been actually doing this. In secret, of course, like so many parts of their hidden life, on days off, or on ones where they only went to see Lisa at the stables, that they met with their friends.

As everything, that was difficult, but over time, Manu had lost the hesitancy that came with the realization that he enjoyed the way makeup looked on his features, that he loved figuring out the process and what look went best with what outfit. He’d made it his own, and Thomas couldn’t deny the pride swelling up in him as Manu finished the eyeshadow, took the lid off his eyeliner pencil and drew a perfect cat-eye in the first attempt.

The razor laid almost forgotten in his hands, too entranced by fondly gazing upon his husband quietly working through his routine. Eventually, Manu glanced over at him, grinning, their eyes meeting through the mirror.

“Is it interesting?”

Thomas shrugged good-naturedly. “Always,” he replied truthfully, but then continued his own task, finishing the shave off with a few more strokes.

While he was applying lotion on his cheeks, now smooth, Manu found a spot he wasn’t quite satisfied with, going back to the brush, blending it out. Once he was done, Thomas turned around, leaning around the counter, now looking at Manu without attempting to hide it. 

As usual, his husband blossomed under his attention, a smile tugging at his lips as he reached for the small tube of lipstick, taking off the lid, turning it around in his fingers.

He didn’t draw back when Thomas stepped up up closer to him, even leaning into the touch when Thomas raised his heels ever so slightly, pressing his lips gently against Manu’s skin, whose stubble was soft yet scratchy, just the way Thomas liked it. A few more soft pecks followed, on his cheeks, jaw, his neck ... and Manu put the lipstick down again, tilted his head to the side, giving Thomas more room.

The gold on his eyelids sparkled, so prettily exposed when Manu’s eyes fluttered shut; a work of art on a work of art.

Thomas took his time, kissing all those spots he knew would make Manu feel like putty under his hands – right behind his ear, then where his neck hit his collarbone; mouthing at it with no real intent, simply basking in the rushes of fondness overcoming him one after another.

Manu sighed, his breath stuttering, but neither of them made an attempt to take it further. They didn’t need to, knowing they’d have all the time of the world to spend together. Instead, he lifted the lipstick back up as Thomas nuzzled his face into the crook of Manu’s neck, closing his eyes for a moment before looking back into the mirror.

They painted a beautiful picture, he found: Manu locked in Thomas’ embrace, with Manu’s left arm around Thomas’ shoulders, too, while he was painting his lips a subtle nude colour that would look almost natural under most lights, tracing the soft arches of his cupid’s bow, filling out his full bottom lip with a flick of his wrist before setting the tube down on the sink, his gaze inquisitive as he took in the finished result.

“How do I look?”

His voice was steady, didn’t shake one bit, but there was a kind of fragility, a vulnerability to his words that Thomas didn’t find there very often, one that usually sparked his protective streak so fiercely that it was difficult to extinguish afterwards. 

This time, too, it made him tighten his arms around Manu’s waist, holding him closer as Manu turned towards him ever so slightly, turning his head so that Thomas could take in the full picture, almost preening when Thomas took another look at him, chuckling softly, kissing his cheek yet again.

“You’re beautiful, babe. As always.”

Manu sighed, an ever so slight tension falling off his shoulders, a grin tugging at his lips. He wanted to lean in for a real kiss, but Thomas turned his head away, grinning. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t ruin your lipstick just yet, don’t you think?”

To that, Manu rolled his eyes and laughed, a sound that Thomas could never ever get enough of, gently shoving at his shoulder – gently, being Manu, of course meaning that Thomas still almost stumbled over his own feet.

They left the bathroom together, arm in arm, only reluctantly separating to get dressed to a minimal degree (sweatpants, t-shirts, hoodies), then chasing each other down the stairs.

Sometimes, when they were together, it made them feel like they were young boys again, young and impetuous, but then, as they arrived in the kitchen, Manu taking out the oats and the milk, and Thomas the bacon, Thomas looked at the laughter lines by Manu’s eyes, looked at his hair, now fixed into his regular hairstyle, knowing exactly where Manu’s half a dozen grey hairs were hiding, and it made him think of all the years – more than a decade – that they’ve known each other already, made him remember all those fond memories.

How they kept growing, too, developing and discovering new sides of themselves and each other.

When they first met, ten years ago, he couldn’t have pictured Manu standing there next to him in full makeup from the boy he was back then, couldn’t have pictured them standing side by side in their shared kitchen at all. Couldn’t have imagined the rings on their fingers, or knowing what Manu’s skin felt like under his kisses.

And yet, there was no way he’d rather have it.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you want an impression of what some of M's makeup looks could look like, check out this [tumblr post](https://manuelmueller.tumblr.com/post/634339273543499776/i-just-feel-i-have-to-share-this-with-everyone) ^^
> 
> I'm also gonna plug [E's fics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebaddestwitch/works) which I couldn't recommend more – her writing is absolutely gorgeous!
> 
> I write FICTION about real people. None of this is intended to harm them or their reputation in any way. Please leave kudos and maybe a comment if you liked it! | [tumblr](http://manuelmueller.tumblr.com/)


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